Top Wheat Growers Post 146.4 Bushels Per Acre
Growers in wheat-producing states can compare their operations against the national winners' practices and yields.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Agriculture
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The National Wheat Foundation announced 24 national winners of the 2026 National Wheat Yield Contest, drawn from 10 states, with national winners averaging 146.4 bushels per acre. Growers in wheat-producing states can review the full winners lists, and Top-Quality Award winners will be named in mid-January 2027.
Why it matters
The contest gives top U.S. wheat producers a structured way to share management practices and technologies, which can shape how other growers approach yield and input decisions. Fewer entries than in past years reflected drought and reduced wheat acreage, so the results reflect a smaller pool of participants.
The contest named 24 national winners from 10 states, with national winners averaging 146.4 bushels per acre, and 71 state winners from 22 states averaging 134.72 bushels per acre in traditional categories. Montana and Washington each produced four national winners, and four winners were recognized in the pilot digital yield category.
The players
National Wheat Foundation
A U.S. wheat industry organization that runs the National Wheat Yield Contest to recognize top producers and share growing practices across wheat-producing states.
Commodity Classic
A major annual U.S. row-crop industry convention where growers, suppliers, and agribusiness firms gather to share research and products.
The details
Top wheat producers enter the contest and share management practices and technologies that produced their yields. National winners' wheat is then analyzed for grain, flour, and finished-product quality characteristics before Top-Quality Award winners are determined. Drought and reduced wheat acreage contributed to fewer entries than in past years, which narrows the pool the results draw from.
Timeline
2016: The contest was established to help improve the U.S. wheat crop.
November 2, 2026: The National Wheat Foundation announced the 2026 national winners.
Mid-January 2027: Top-Quality Award winners will be announced.
March 2027: National winners will attend Commodity Classic in New Orleans.
Market Landscape
The contest has run since 2016 as a benchmark for top U.S. wheat yields, with this year's winners reflecting a narrower entry pool. The recognition of Top-Quality Award winners based on grain and flour characteristics extends the contest beyond yield alone into end-product quality.
Grain producers and agronomy service providers can review the published winners lists for practices and technologies used by top-yielding operations. Operators weighing seed, nutrient, or water-management changes may find the state-level yield averages a useful reference point.
The takeaway
Operators in wheat-producing states should review the published winners lists to compare management approaches against top national yields. Calendar the mid-January 2027 Top-Quality Award announcement, since grain and flour quality results may matter for buyers and marketing decisions.
What happens next
Top-Quality Award winners will be announced in mid-January 2027, and national winners will attend Commodity Classic in New Orleans in March 2027.
Further reading
Explore more reporting in the Agriculture section for context on U.S. crop production trends.
More information
Review the complete national and state winners lists on the National Wheat Foundation's contest page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by High Plains Journal.
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